Now that the celebratory period of a third straight NL East title has passed, there is some bad news coming from Phillies camp. First, the news came out while the Phillies were winning the National League East that Jamie Moyer is going to need surgery on his torn groin muscles and will miss the playoffs. If that wasn't bad enough, J.C. Romero is apparently telling reporters today that he is done for the season. Romero has had his fair share of crap piled on him this year, and this is just the cherry on top of the 2009 season for him. He hasn't been able to pitch on back to back days for months, and it really doesn't come as a shock to me that he isn't going to be around this year for the playoffs.
Of course, that doesn't make either one of these losses feel any better. Moyer was actually pitching well out of the bullpen and was a solid long relief man. There's a good chance that he'll be back for Spring Training, but a 47 year old coming off of surgery doesn't exactly look good for the Phillies. I'm sure Ruben Amaro is going to give him a chance to prove that he's still got it, but if not, perhaps Pedro Martinez or one of the young arms that the Phillies have will be ready to take Jamie's spot. I've said it a few times this year, and I'll say it again now: I will always love Jamie Moyer for what he did last year in getting the Phillies to the playoffs and then what he did in the World Series. I don't know if this is the last time he's going to pitch as a Phillie, or ever, but if it is, we Phillies fans owe him for what he's done since he came here.
As for Romero, I honestly think that not having him around helped contribute to the car wreck that was Brad Lidge's regular season. Ryan Madson did all he could, but without Romero there to help in the seventh and eighth innings, it made things more interesting for Lidge and the bullpen, and the cracks showed. Now, this probably means that Sergio Escalona ends up with a spot in the bullpen for the playoffs, since the Phils have very few other options, but at this point, I'll take whatever the Phillies can get. Escalona isn't horrible, and while he isn't Romero, he can hopefully do whatever he has to do when called upon.
The other option is moving J.A. Happ back into the bullpen and putting Pedro Martinez in as the fourth starter in the playoff rotation. At this point, I think it might have to be done, though Kyle Kendrick, or whoever this is that looks like Kyle Kendrick, has done well since being called up again. While I'd like to see Happ in the playoff rotation, I'll take him wherever Charlie thinks he can do the most good for the Phillies during the playoffs. One thing's sure: the Phillies still have a lot of questions to answer as they get ready for the playoffs.
Philly.com: Moyer to undergo surgery, could be back by spring.
Todd Zolecki: J.C. Romero done
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